February 12th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from the Gospel of Mark; Steps To Ask God For What You Desire.

Readings for Mass

First Reading: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 11
Second Reading: First Corinthians 10:31–11:1
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

The Gospel of Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

 

Reflection

The below are components of asking God for what you desire, Go ahead ask him.  

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
First:  He wanted.

The man wanted this request with all of his heart, 100%.  There were no blocks or barriers between him and his healing.  When you ask Jesus for something; ask with all of your heart.  Then notice if there is a part that is not all on board.  Figure out what it is that is holding you back and ask God to help with these blocks.  Once the blocks are cleared you are in a position to receive what you ask.  God knows our hearts he comes to us in dreams (as he did with Solomon) and asks for what we want.  In this subconscious state, our heart is laid open before him.  If you don’t really want something, or aren’t ready for it, or don’t think that you deserve it, God knows.  Work on those things first.

 

Second:    The man asked Jesus.

This is something we often forget to do in our busy lives.  With all of the noises and demands on our time we forget to turn to God and ask him for what we desire.  How many times in the Old Testament did God come down and ask the people, ask from me what you desire.  God wants us to ask him.  Sometimes we get so busy that we forget about ourselves and our needs.  Take time today to sit in a quiet place and still your mind, let it wander, what is it that you desire?  Then ask God to bring these things to fruition.  Just in asking is faith.

Third:  He believed.

The man believed with all of his heart that Jesus could cleanse him.  He wasn’t asking on the off chance that Jesus may be able to cleanse him.  He completely believed that he could do it.  “If you wish,” the man said, not “if you can.”  Faith is a necessary, required component.  But if you feel that your faith is lacking, ask anyway, asking engages you in a conversation with God.  As stated in number 2, there is faith in asking.

“…I do will it.  Be made clean.”

 

February 11th, Reading from the Gospel of Mark and a Reflection on the Abundance of the U.S.

Readings for Mass
First Reading: First Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 106:6-7, 19-20, 21-22
Gospel: Mark 8:1-10

Reading from the Gospel of Mark 8:1-10

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

Reflection:

Jesus is abundance

Here in the U.S. we have an abundance of things.  There is so much stuff in the U.S. that our garbages and landfills are overflowing with perfectly usable items.  In many cases it has become cheaper to go out and buy a new item rather than purchase a good quality used item.

If we took the time and summoned up the creativity, we could start seeing waste in a different way.  We could identify where things are being wasted and come up with ways to reuse or repurpose.  This may not be good for the economy, but it is good for our souls.  I know that many people do these things, but even more do not, there is room for improvement.

Many times we get so wrapped up in the need for material wealth that we forget everything else.  Every room has to be filled with “items” our closets, our cupboards.  The more the better, we get new things and toss out the old.  We buy in an attempt to fill up an invisible hole inside of us.  Yet the more we purchase the greater the hole becomes and harder it is to see out of it.

When we get into this cycle, we never have enough.  Often it is the people with the most who have the greatest hunger.  We cannot serve two Gods.  We cannot place material wealth at the top of our lists and be spiritually full.  It is impossible.  God must come first and all else will pale in comparison.  This does not mean we will not be blessed materially but our blessings may come in different forms.  The most important thing is that if we put God as number one in our lives, our perception of material belongings will change.

The reading today brought to my mind a quote from mother Teresa, in searching for it; I found many others that reflect the same thoughts.  She says it better than I ever could.  Thank God for Mother Teresa and others like her.

 

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”
― Mother Teresa, A Simple Path: Mother Teresa

“Live simply so others may simply live.”
― Mother Teresa

From:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/838305.Mother_Teresa

 

“There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things that we could use.”
Mother Teresa
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mother_teresa_2.html#ixzz1m24T9Lb0

 

February 10th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from 1 Kings

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 81:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Reading from 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19

Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.'”

Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.

Reflection:

God loved David.  Again and again, I read the passages of the Old Testament describing the life of David and am amazed and inspired by the relationship that they had.

David made serious mistakes in his life and God punished him severely.  Yet David’s heart never strayed from God.  He may not have done the right thing all of the time, but he never turned from the Lord.

God’s love for David extended to his son Solomon, the son from his union with Bathsheba.  God granted Solomon numerous gifts, yet Solomon’s heart never had the fire that was so apparent in David.  Solomon’s love for the Lord always appeared more tame.  Solomon had many wives, who worshiped various Gods, Solomon eventually began to worship these Gods as well and even built them temples.

This greatly angered the Lord who swore that he would not pass on his entire Kingdom to a Son of Solomon. Because of David, God promised not take away Solomon’s kingdom until after his death.  Because of the devotion of the Lord to David, he would leave one tribe for David’s line.  Again in this passage we see the continuing devotion of God to David.

Today most of us would agree that murder is worse than worshiping another God.  Yet according to the Bible the ultimate command is to love God above all else.  Solomon certainly did not obey this command.  For Solomon’s heart turned from the Lord.  And even though David committed murder and adultery, he was steadfast in his devotion and love of the Lord.  He accepted his harsh punishment for his sins with grace, praising God’s name the entire time.  David was forgiven and eventually regained peace and the Lord’s favor.

Meditation:  Dear Lord, May I be passionate in my love for you.  May my heart never stray.  And when I sin, may my heart lead me to repentance, and may I learn from my mistakes.

(Back Story of 1 Kings)

Reading from 1 Kings 11:4-13

When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods,
and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,
as the heart of his father David had been.
By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,
and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites,
Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD;
he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done.
Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab,
and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites,
on the hill opposite Jerusalem.
He did the same for all his foreign wives
who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel,
who had appeared to him twice
(for though the LORD had forbidden him
this very act of following strange gods,
Solomon had not obeyed him).

So the LORD said to Solomon: “Since this is what you want,
and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes
which I enjoined on you,
I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant.
I will not do this during your lifetime, however,
for the sake of your father David;
it is your son whom I will deprive.
Nor will I take away the whole kingdom.
I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David
and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

 

February 9th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from the Gospel of Mark

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 11:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 106:3-4, 35-36, 37, 40
Gospel: Mark 7:24-30

Reading from the Gospel of Mark 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.

Reflection:

In this passage Jesus likens the Greek woman a dog.  He says, “it is not right to take the food (the gifts of Jesus) of the children (Jews) and throw it to the dogs(implying waste, or gifts that are above the recipient.)

He is speaking from the common elevated position that the Jews believed that they held spiritually over the gentiles.  Gentiles are referred to as dogs and the Jews as the chosen children of God.

Jesus may have said this in order to test the woman.  She replies in line with his metaphor, indicating her understanding of what he said and of her desire to be included at the table.

Jesus replies, “For saying this, you may go.  The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

“For saying this.”  Her words are so important.  Again (see the Gospel from yesterday) there is emphasis on the importance of words, of what comes out of one’s mouth.  By her words does Jesus judge this woman.

This woman’s words indicate her understanding, her faith in his ability to heal, and importantly the desire of the Gentiles to be included at the table even if it as dogs feeding on the scraps.  This passage sets the stage for the eventual mission that the followers of Jesus took on of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

The faith in Jesus and the Desire of the Gentiles to be included at the table begin to set up the change in momentum from an exclusive to an inclusive religion, taking with it a change in name from Judaism to Christianity.

 

February 8th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from the Gospel of Mark

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 10:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
Gospel: Mark 7:14-23

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

 

Reflection and Meditation:

Dear Lord, Let me not be concerned with the things that enter my body but with the things that occur within.  Help me to nurture my spiritual growth and be less concerned with the external, temporary things of the world.  Amen.

 

February 7th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from the Gospel of Mark

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 84:3, 4, 5, 10, 11
Gospel: Mark 7:1-13

Reading from the Gospel of Mark 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
“Any support you might have had from me is qorban”‘
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”

 

Reflection

Jesus is beginning to tear down the walls between Gentiles and Jews.  He is saying that it is obedience to God’s word, not to the Jewish tradition that is pleasing to the Lord.    This allows Gentiles access to the Jewish God without having to be of Jewish ancestry.

The Jewish people held many traditions as sacred or as holding utmost importance.  They had numerous laws that governed their every step.  Adherence to these laws was seen as obedience to the Jewish faith and in extension as obedience to God.  Jesus is questioning this.  He says that they are so dedicated to their human laws and traditions that God has taken second stage.  They have forgotten to honor him above all else.

This is a very common occurrence in our lives even today.  God takes a secondary role in our lives.  Primary roles are held by our jobs, school, relationships or numerous other things.

Another way that we give God a less important role in our lives is by justifying ourselves to the laws of God.  To take from the example that Jesus used and extend it to today:

The law says:

Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.

Yet we often use the excuse that our parents were bad parents, they do not deserve our honor.  And so we have as little contact with them as possible.  We believe that we do not need to take care of them or honor them since they did a bad job of taking care of us.

Jesus says not so.  Even the Jews who gave the money to the church instead of their parents were wrong.  How much more wrong are we when we give to ourselves instead of helping needy parents?

We can nod our heads and say yes Jesus was right, those silly Jews, clinging to their tradition.  But it is not so easy to agree once we look at what Jesus is saying in the context of today’s Christian life.

Put God above all else and honor his word.  It sounds so simple, yet for it to happen it has to be the number one priority of your life.

 

February 6th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation From the Gospel of Mark

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 132:6-7, 8-10
Gospel: Mark 6:53-56

Reading from the Gospel of Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

 

Reflection

Why do we suffer, why is there so much pain in our lives?  If Jesus could take away a person’s sickness why can’t he do it now?  Where is he today?

We ask these questions in the context of our lives, of our families and the people that love us.  There is an obligation that we feel to be whole, to be fit and healthy.  There is an unspoken disgrace that we feel in being sick; physically or mentally.

There is also a sense of unfairness, why me?  Of all of the people in the world, why me?

Here on earth we suffer, perhaps because our faith is not great enough to save us, perhaps because as a whole mankind has not succeeded in channeling the healing energies of God.  Perhaps because suffering is a natural part of being human, even Jesus suffered.

Jesus came to earth and promised his people that whoever believes in me will have eternal life.  We must take the faith that we have, however insignificant, however small and believe with all of our hearts that God is our savior, that he will raise us up.  That with him we will be whole and healthy, the way that God intended.

Jesus saw beyond a person’s sickness to their “wholeness,” to their natural state of perfection.  It is this sate of perfection that will be restored when we are reunited with our God.  Until then take every day as a gift from the father, as an experience and as a chance to spread love here on earth.

 

Meditation:  Dear Lord, Help me see beyond sickness to the natural state of perfection that faith has the power to unveil.  Amen.

 

 

 

February 5th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation

Mass Readings:

First Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Second Reading: First Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

 

The Gospel of Mark 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

 

Reflections:

Duty.

In this passage Jesus was up late healing the sick.  The next morning he woke up very early.  He went to a quiet place to pray and spend some time with his Father.  But the time had come where he would get no rest.  Once he began preaching and performing miracles, the “circus” had begun.

The people were desperate for someone who could save them.  They were desperate for a shepherd.  Jesus gave up his life, not only on the cross, but long before that.  While he was living he had already laid down his life.  He had given himself to the people.

He said, “For this purpose I have come.”

Powerful words, full of duty, full of meaning; he has come to fulfill, to serve, to bring to fruition the ancient prophecies.  In this work, there was no rest.  His life was already laid down.  Jesus did not do with the question in the back of his mind, what am I getting out of this.  Jesus did with the purpose of bringing light into the lives of others, of guiding a lost people, of easing their pain, giving hope, spreading love, increasing faith.  Jesus did all for the sake of others.

Jesus’ sense of I was great.  Not only did he know who he was, so did the evil spirits.  Jesus was so strong in his sense of self that he needed no validation.  He didn’t do things then look around to make sure that someone saw, that someone was standing by impressed, or that he was going to get something in return.  He was here on earth to give.   He was light years ahead of us in development.  He was past the what can I get mentality.  Jesus was so full of the spirit that his soul cried out, what can I give.

What is your purpose?

May God’s hand guide you.

Amen.

Meditation:  Dear Lord, May I bring light to my fellow man.  May I be blessed enough to ease their pain, to enhance their faith, to show them love and to live following your example.

 

February 4th, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from 1 Kings

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: First Kings 3:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

Reading from 1 Kings 3:4-13

Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,
because that was the most renowned high place.
Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David,
because he behaved faithfully toward you,
with justice and an upright heart;
and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today,
seating a son of his on his throne.
O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,
king to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this?
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right?
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”

 

Reflection:

Solomon went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to God and most likely also underwent extensive purification, prayer and meditation.  His reward for this cleansing and drawing closer to the Lord was given in a dream.  God told Solomon to ask him for something.  God wants us to take the time to talk with him, to have the faith to ask him for what we need, but he also desires the effort on our part to purify, and draw closer to him.

Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, the wisest man that ever lived, asked for understanding to know what is right.  The lord was so pleased by his request that he gave him riches and glory also.

May we ask God for things with care.  Study your heart before you offer up your requests to the Lord.  Many times what we ask for are fleeting whims or fancies rather than solid gifts that would truly benefit us.  We even ask for things that would do us harm rather than good.  Sometimes these wishes come to fruition and we learn our lessons, other times they do not and we look back thankful of the path we traveled instead.

 

February 3ird, Reading, Reflection and Meditation from the Gospel of Mark

Daily Mass Readings:

First Reading: Sirach 47:2-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 18:31, 47, 50, 51
Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

Gospel Mk 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

Reflection

Often, when someone makes a comment that we find offensive, we take their words and turn them over and over in our heads.  The statement, which may or may not have meant to be offensive, turns toxic and our ears and hearts are closed to this person.

Sometimes people say or do things that warrant our distancing from them.  But other times we miss the opportunity to get to know someone, or to develop a meaningful relationship because of a small comment or action.

We do not need to please everyone but when someone says something that we interpret as critical and our reaction is anger, it is wise to question where that anger is coming from.  Is the anger because the comment held a kernel of truth?  We can immediately place ourselves in a position of self control and dignity if we humble ourselves and say; yes what you said is right.  What can I do to make it better?  What can I do to become a better person?  Then go and work to change this.

A man who has built a strong house will not be shaken by idle talk.

Amen.